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Monthly Archives: August 2017

There is a growing trend in national education and it starts at home. An estimated two million students, approximately 3-4% of the U.S. K-12 student population, are homeschooled, a 74% increase since 1999. Moral and religious instruction remains the primary reason parents opt to homeschool their children, but a growing number choose to do so for a myriad of other reasons. Motives for homeschooling range from dissatisfaction with public schools, to concerns about school environment and safety, to medical conditions or special needs support, to the desire to education children within pedagogical frameworks different that those offered in standard classroom instruction.

Despite their rapidly growing numbers, homeschooling families often still face skepticism. However, with figures that rival charter school enrollment, and as a viable alternative to expensive private schools, homeschooling rates will most likely continue to increase in the coming years. Whether you are a homeschooling parent, thinking about homeschooling, an educator, or simply interested in educational trends, here is a primer on homeschooling:

1. Homeschooling is Legal

Today, families may choose to homeschool in all fifty states. Typically, a parent must submit paperwork notifying the school of his or her intent to homeschool, however, each state and often each school district, sets its own regulations and these rules can vary greatly. For example, in some states like Oregon homeschooling students are still required to partake in standardized testing at certain grades. In Nebraska, homeschools are treated as private schools and must cover specific subjects. And in Alaska, families do not even need to notify the state or district of their intention to homeschool. The National Home Education Network maintains an At-a-Glance State Information page for anyone looking to learn more about homeschool regulations.

2. Homeschooled Students are Socialized

The stereotype that a typical homeschooled student lacks social skills and sits at a desk six hours a day, working either in isolation or just with a parent has been shattered over the past decade. With the increase in the number of homeschoolers has come an increase in the number of homeschool organizations providing support, activities, outings, and resources. Often homeschooled students study with siblings and other local homeschoolers, are members of youth sports leagues, and even participate in public school cocurricular activities in states like New Hampshire where such access is protected by law. Many museums, libraries, and organizations now offer programming geared specifically for homeschoolers during normal school hours. For more information about homeschool organizations, visit Home Education Magazines’ state-by-state list of support groups.

3. Homeschooling Can Be Affordable

How much does it cost to homeschool a student? This will depend on the family and choice of curriculum, but $500 to $600 annually per student is frequently cited. Yet, the largest cost of homeschooling is often the loss of income when a parent leaves the workforce. It may not come as a surprise that the increase in the rate of homeschooling has coincided with the widespread availability of the internet. Although the majority of homeschooled students come from two parent families with a stay-at-home parent, the internet has opened the doors to telecommuting, off-hour options, and freelance work allowing many more parents to homeschool while still contributing to household incomes.

4. Homeschool Curriculum Choices are Abundant

The purchase of curriculum packages or enrollment in an online program can be a large portion of the direct cost of homeschooling a child. Considering students will typically study several subject areas and require new materials and courses as they progress academically, this can add up over the years. However, with ingenuity and research many families manage to educate their children at home on modest budgets. With the growing popularity of homeschooling, free and low cost educational resources have flourished. For example, TestDesigner.com offers free printable worksheets for a wide range of grade levels and subjects. Several major online schools provide courses for homeschooling students and a number of elite universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, now offer massive open online courses, providing a free option for secondary students transitioning to college. Many homeschooling websites, like The Home School Mom, provide ample information to help parents make informed decisions as to the homeschooling method best for their children.

5. Homeschooling Isn’t Always a K-12 Commitment

It is not uncommon for families to homeschool for a period of time and then transition students into schools. Sometimes the homeschooling parent must return to work for financial reasons, the homeschool dynamic no longer works for the family, or the students themselves express the desire to enroll in school. The reverse can also be true. A student may transition from school to homeschooling when the current educational circumstances are not meeting the student’s needs. Some homeschool situations are temporary, for example, when a student is bullied, for family relocation, or when a medical condition arises. Ideally, a strong partnership between parents and school personal will help students transition successfully either way.

In most states there are restrictions about the use of payday loans for the consumer’s benefit. One rule in many states is that you can only have two payday loans at a time. This helps you stay out of the huge problem of having too many loans due at one time.

If you are juggling a couple payday loans and are not able to get out of either loan, you may run into a second problem. Many states will only let you take out five loans in a row without a break between loans. If you are carrying two loans, and need to renew or roll them over a couple months, you may find that by the third month you can only take out one and are stuck with a second that you cannot roll over or pay off.

There is a secret among payday loan users with experience that can help you get past this barrier. You may run into this problem over time even if you are attempting to lower each consecutive loan as you go along. For example, if you have two loans at the same time, and one is for $400 and the other for $300, but you can only reduce each by $100, here is the sequence of events:

Loan #1 is for $400 and Loan #2 is for $300. At payoff, you pay $100 on each and roll them to the next period.

Loan #3 (next period) is for $300 and Loan #4 is for $200. When these are due, you are at Loan #5 and can only take out one new loan. Just when these two are due and you want two new loans, you can only roll one over because of the 5 consecutive loans limit. Therefore, you must find enough money to repay both loans on time and then you must wait 48 hours before you can get another two loans. Managing this requires a little planning ahead.

If you cannot pay off both loans, you will need to find enough money to repay them at least for a few days. Then take out Loan #5 for only the smallest amount ($100) and repay it as soon as possible, like the next day. At that point you are reset and can start over. Take out whatever cash you need to survive to the next pay day, either in one or two new loans.

Here is the secret. If you know you cannot repay both loans in full, and need two more loans but are only allowed to do one, you have to do a tiny loan to reset the count. Take a loan (#5 of this set) out for the smallest amount ($100) and pay it off as soon as possible. Wait the 48 hour waiting period and then you can start over again with 5 more loans. Try to pay off loans quickly!